Project Team
Shakhnoza Kayumova (PI) with Ramprasad Balasubramanian (ENG), Raymond Laoulache (ENG), Walter Stroup (STEM Ed & Teacher Development), Qinguo Fan (BNG), Maoyuan Sun (CIS)
Funding Agency
Multidisciplinary Seed Funding. University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
Project Aim
The goal of this multidisciplinary project is to design and implement socially and culturally response-able, learning-by-making and design-based approach to robotics, engineering, and science practices in the context of life sciences, which aims at supporting girls’ equitable participation and identity development in STEAM disciplines.
What do we do in this project?
We employ convergent Parallel Mixed-Method to collect both quantitative and qualitative data and systematically compare and contrast the evidence to understand socio-cultural and material learning conditions that support at-risk students and ethnically and linguistically diverse girls’ positive academic identity development.
Where does the work take place?
The project includes middle school students, who come from ethnically/racially, linguistically diverse Gateway cities in Southern Massachusetts. We are co-designing curriculum materials and units with local science and engineering, Maker and design-based-learning consultants, and multidisciplinary team of researchers from STEAM fields disciplines. The curriculum units and materials are implemented and co-taught in partner schools and with partnering teachers, consultants, and STEM education researchers.